MISSING JOHNNY: Documentary Focuses On 1982 Case

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MISSING JOHNNY: Documentary Focuses On 1982 Case

A special documentary focusing on an Iowa kidnapping case that changed how police search for missing children will air on MSNBC Sunday.

Executive Producer Paul Sparrow said, “I think people today would be shocked at what the real situation was in 1982. Police were required to wait 72 hours before investigating a missing child’s case. The FBI would track your stolen car across state lines, but it would not track your stolen child across state lines. There was absolutely no national infrastructure to support the hunt for missing children.”

Those were the struggles Noreen Gosch was up against when her son was kidnapped in West Des Moines in 1982. Though Johnny Gosch was never located, his mother’s efforts helped make sure other kidnapping victims were returned to their families.

The documentary called “Missing Johnny” will air at 9 p.m. Sunday night on MSNBC.